Development of Technology for Aromatizing Chinese-Style Cigarettes

Source from:  China Tobacco magazine 05/31/2004

Since the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration (STMA) adopted a policy to develop Chinese-style cigarettes, both the tobacco industry of China and relevant Chinese companies have been striving to develop technology for aromatizing Chinese-style cigarettes. As the addition of aromas and essences is a key technology in the production of Chinese-style cigarettes, the STMA has given priority to the development of this technology. [img border=0 hspace="4" vspace="4" align="left" src=http://www.tobaccochina.com/english/picture/040524tttp.jpg] Presently, key Chinese tobacco manufacturers are in a rush to develop Chinese-style cigarettes, which the tobacco industry of China has defined as cigarette products with distinctive characteristics of aroma and flavor manufactured with core technologies possessed by China's tobacco industry that are capable of meeting the current and potential demand of Chinese cigarette consumers, mainly including Chinese-style flue-cured-type and Chinese-style blend-type cigarettes, with Chinese-style flue-cured-type cigarettes taking the dominant position. At the national conference on technological development of the tobacco industry held on April 20, STMA Deputy Director-General Zhang Baozhen said: "The policy on the development of Chinese-style cigarettes is a strategic policy related to the future development of China's tobacco industry. It is imperative to establish the system of supply of special raw materials for the production of Chinese-style cigarettes, and to develop technology for the research, design and development of Chinese-style cigarettes, particularly blending technology and technology for scientific development and application of support materials. We need conduct market surveys in order to accurately understand the market demand for quality characteristics of Chinese-style cigarettes. The research and development of technology for adding aromas and essences for producing Chinese-style cigarettes is part of the core technology for the development of Chinese-style cigarettes. Therefore, researchers and technicians at all levels of the tobacco industry should pay great attention to the development of such technology." With concerted efforts made by experts both in and outside the tobacco industry over recent years, initial progress has been made in the development of aromatizing technology for the production of Chinese-style cigarettes. [b]CHARACTERISTICS OF AROMAS OF CHINESE-STYLE CIGARETTES[/b] Huabao Co., Ltd. of China has been conducting market surveys of the characteristics of aromas and flavors of Chinese-style cigarettes for quite a long time. According to results of the market surveys conducted by the company, through many years of development, the aromas and flavors of Chinese-style cigarettes have acquired distinctive Chinese characteristics. Cigarettes with the characteristics of softness, mildness, fineness, sweetness, moistness and clearness have become major favorite cigarettes on markets in China, leading the direction of Chinese-style cigarettes. Presently, as far as homemade cigarette products are concerned, cigarette markets in China are dominated by cigarettes of three styles: 1. Yunnan style represented by the three famous brands of Hongtashan, Honghe and Yunyan of the tobacco industry of southwest China's Yunnan Province – known as the kingdom of tobacco in China. Yunnan-style cigarettes are regarded as having sufficient and natural aromas, with a marked style of fragrance, with the smoke fine, mild and coordinative, generating a pure and clear mouth feel. Therefore, Yunnan-style cigarettes have been well received by consumers throughout China. After a structural reform, the tobacco industry of Yunnan may have had an annual cigarette production capacity of over 10 million cases (500 billion cigarettes), and the provincial tobacco industry will emerge as the largest cigarette producer in China. 2. Shanghai style represented by cigarette products made by tobacco manufacturers in Shanghai, Beijing and Tianjin led by Shanghai Tobacco Group. Shanghai-style cigarettes have sufficient aromas and natural fragrance of tobacco, with the smoke relatively fine, mild, coordinative and adequate, generating a pure and clear mouth feel. Shanghai-style cigarettes have been well received by consumers in east China. A few brands of Shanghai-style cigarettes have been well sold to other China regions and foreign countries. 3. Hunan style represented by such heavy-weight brands as Baisha and Furongwang. Hunan-style cigarettes have sufficient coordinative aromas, with obvious fragrance of wood, with the smoke fine, smooth, mild and adequate, generating a clear and comfortable aftertaste. With unique designs, Hunan-style cigarettes are hopeful to develop national-level brands. [b]EXISTING AROMATIZING TECHNOLOGY APPLIED BY CHINA'S TOBACCO INDUSTRY[/b] The tobacco industry of China has set the target of greatly developing Chinese-style cigarettes. But the existing technology for adding aromas and essences applied by China's tobacco industry is unable to fully meet the demand for producing Chinese-style cigarettes. We should admit that the technology for adding aromas and essences in cigarette production applied by China's tobacco industry is relatively far below the advanced world level, mainly as a result that the tobacco industry of China has a relatively weak basic capacity to conduct the research of aromas and essences for cigarette production, that there is a lack systematic research of aromas and essences, that the quantity of aromas and essences available for choice is not large enough, and that Chinese tobacco manufacturers do not have sufficient human resources specializing in aromatizing technology. Presently, aromas and essences for cigarette production in China are mainly supplied by private companies. A small number of Chinese enterprises have developed or acquired some technology for producing aromas and essences for cigarette production. The core technology for producing important aromas or essences is still in the hands of foreign companies. If we do not develop or acquire core technology for producing important aromas or essences in a timely way, China's tobacco industry will have some hidden dangers on its way to realize sustainable, steady, coordinated and sound development. However, the tobacco industry of China does not have to excessively underestimate its own capabilities in this respect. Through research and development over the past few years, the tobacco industry of China has made some progress in developing aromatizing technology, making some contribution to the development of special aromas and essences for producing Chinese-style cigarettes. For example, Zhengzhou Tobacco Research Institute and Yunnan Tobacco Research Institute have both boasted a team of highly qualified and highly experienced technicians specializing in the assortment of tobacco leaves, addition of aromas and essences in cigarette production, research and development of aromas and essences, and analysis of tobacco. Over recent years, both tobacco research institutes have undertaken the implementation of relevant research and development projects designated by the STMA, and have purchased relatively complete research equipment. So, both have become fully capable of undertaking projects of researching and developing special aromas and essences for the production of Chinese-style cigarettes. [b]DIRECTION AND TARGETS OF AROMATIZING TECHNOLOGY FOR PRODUCTION OF CHNESE-STYLE CIGARETTES[/b] Experts with the tobacco industry have predicted that along with the development of the technology for lowering the content of tar and other harmful substances in cigarette smoke, and also along with the promotion of the capacity of the tobacco industry to control the quality of cigarette smoke, the research and development of the aromatizing technology – as a core technology for cigarette making – will be promoted to a higher level. Therefore, in the research and development of technology for adding aromas and essences for the production of Chinese-style cigarettes, efforts should be made to strengthen the research of the characteristics of aromas of both leaf tobacco and cigarettes produced in China and abroad, to well understand the characteristics of aromas of leaf tobacco and cigarettes with different quality standards and of different styles, and to manage to meet the demand of consumers for the aromas and flavors of Chinese-style cigarettes they favor. To sum up, the development of Chinese-style cigarettes is in a crucial stage. Promoted by rapid development of the global aroma-making industry, the development of aromas and essences for the production of Chinese-style cigarettes will bring about many new opportunities for the research and development as well as marketing of Chinese-style cigarettes. Although there has been no answer to many technical issues concerning the development of aromas and essences for producing Chinese-style cigarettes, and although some of the answers to relevant technical issues is quite controversial, Chinese experts and technicians have made progress in the research and development of core technology for developing important aromas and essences that are indispensable for the production of Chinese-style cigarettes, which will eventually serve as an essential means for China's tobacco industry to greatly improve the quality of Chinese-style cigarettes and a powerful weapon for it to participate in international competition. Enditem